The Braves ended their scoring drought to upend the Astros, 6-4. A homer by Gary Matthews in the first snapped a 21-inning scoreless streak for the Braves. An RBI double by Art Howe got the Astros even in the second stanza, but the Braves scored four times in the fourth.

Singles by Dale Murphy and Darrel Chaney and a walk to Rod Gilbreath the loaded bases and Phil Niekro delivered one run with a sacrifice fly. Jerry Royster then tripled home two more tallies and scored himself on a throwing error by Howe. [The Sporting News]



Atlanta Braves 6, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Sunday, May       21, 1978 (Day game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  0    4  0  1    0  0  0  -   6  8  0
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   4 14  2


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            4   1   1   2     1   0   .287      Puhl cf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .321
Asselstine cf,rf      4   0   2   0     1   0   .286      Cabell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .273
Matthews rf           1   1   1   2     1   0   .333      Cruz rf               5   1   2   0     0   2   .293
  Office cf           1   0   0   0     0   1   .244      Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .297
Burroughs lf          5   0   0   0     0   2   .358      Walling lf            4   2   2   0     0   0   .280
  Bonnell lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Howe 2b               4   1   3   2     0   1   .283
Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .227      Ferguson c            4   0   3   2     0   1   .238
Murphy 1b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .220      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     1   0   .240
Chaney ss             4   1   1   0     0   0   .318      Lemongello p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Gilbreath 3b          3   1   0   0     1   2   .216        Zamora p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Niekro p              3   1   1   1     0   0   .231        Sexton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .190
  Devine p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
                                                            Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Herrmann ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .120
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   6   8   5     4   6             Totals               38   4  14   4     1   5

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 11,715
Left on Base: Braves 7, Astros 8
DP: Braves 2, Astros 1
Errors: Howe, Metzger
Doubles: Niekro (1), Puhl (6), Howe 2 (13)
Triples: Royster (3), Asselstine (2)
Home Runs: Matthews (5)
Stolen Bases: Walling (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Niekro (1), Matthews (1)
GIDP: Burroughs (5), Cruz (3)
Hit by Pitch: Matthews (1,by Lemongello)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(4-6)           7.1  12   4   4   1   5   0  33   3.11
Devine SV(2)            1.2   2   0   0   0   0   0   6   6.12
Totals                  9    14   4   4   1   5   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(3-5)       3.2   6   5   5   2   2   1  20   4.08
Zamora                  1.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   6   0.00
Niekro                  2     2   1   1   1   0   0   8   7.78
Forsch                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.20
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   2.16
Totals                  9     8   6   6   4   6   1  40

Hit by Pitch: Lemongello (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Crawford, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Jim Quick


BRAVES 1ST: Royster grounded out (shortstop to first);
Asselstine flied out to center; Matthews homered; Burroughs
flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl doubled; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Puhl to third]; Cruz struck out; Watson grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba flied out to center; Murphy singled; Chaney
flied out to left; Gilbreath flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling singled; Walling stole second; Howe doubled
[Walling scored]; Ferguson struck out; Metzger walked;
Lemongello lined into a double play (second to shortstop) [Howe
out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Niekro grounded out (third to first); Royster made
an out to catcher; Asselstine walked; Matthews was hit by a
pitch [Asselstine to second]; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell grounded out (third
to first); Cruz struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1,
Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Pocoroba struck out; Murphy singled; Chaney singled
[Murphy to third]; Gilbreath walked [Chaney to second]; Niekro
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Murphy scored, Chaney to third,
Gilbreath to second]; Royster tripled [Chaney scored, Gilbreath
scored, Royster scored (error by Howe) (no RBI)]; Asselstine
tripled; ZAMORA REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Matthews walked;
Burroughs made an out to second; 4 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Braves
5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to left; Walling grounded out
(second to first); Howe singled; Ferguson singled [Howe to
second]; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 5, Astros 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Pocoroba flied out to center; Murphy reached on an
error by Metzger [Murphy to first]; Chaney forced Murphy (first
to shortstop); Gilbreath struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 5, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: SEXTON BATTED FOR ZAMORA; Sexton grounded out (third
to first); Puhl singled; Cabell struck out; Cruz singled [Puhl
to second]; Watson singled [Puhl out at home (second to
catcher), Cruz to second]; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 5,
Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: NIEKRO REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); Niekro doubled;
Royster walked; Asselstine singled [Niekro to third, Royster to
second]; Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to center [Niekro scored,
Royster to third]; Burroughs grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Asselstine out at second]; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: OFFICE REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING CF); ASSELSTINE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Walling made an out to first;
Howe struck out; Ferguson singled; Metzger grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Pocoroba flied out to right; Murphy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Chaney grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: ALOU BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Alou made an out to
shortstop; Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cabell made an
out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 1.

BRAVES 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Gilbreath struck
out; Niekro grounded out (second to first); Royster grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz singled; Watson flied out to right; Walling
singled [Cruz to second]; Howe doubled [Cruz scored, Walling to
third]; DEVINE REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Ferguson singled
[Walling scored, Howe scored]; Metzger grounded out (second to
first) [Ferguson to second]; HERRMANN BATTED FOR FORSCH;
Herrmann grounded out (first to pitcher); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 6, Astros 4.

BRAVES 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED HERRMANN (PITCHING); Asselstine
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Office struck out; Burroughs
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: BONNELL REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING LF); Puhl flied
out to left; Cabell singled; Cruz grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 6, Astros 4.